The Hype

Republicans put the party in the party

PARTY TIME If Springfield’s election-night parties are at
all indicative of how energetically followers will stump for their
political parties, it’s a good thing Gov. Rod Blagojevich has $15 million in
the bank. The Democratic, um, party at the Carpenters Union Hall on Tuesday
night was about as exciting as the governor’s hair — and that
was before
Springfield Ward 4 Ald. Chuck Redpath and Knox County State’s Attorney Paul Mangieri, both state-endorsed
candidates who were in attendance, learned that they’d lost their
respective races. Also there: Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin and City Council members Frank Kunz and Tom Selinger, candidate for
sheriff Charles “Chico” Belle, and Sangamon County Board candidate James R. Helm. By contrast, the GOP
function had almost a carnival feel: popcorn, balloons, and, naturally,
elephants. Among that crowd: Springfield City Council members Frank Edwards and Joe Bartolomucci, state Reps. Raymond Poe and Rich Brauer, and Republican
National Committee treasurer Bob Kjellander. DRINKING MORE LIBERALLY Last summer we told you about Drinking Liberally, a weekly
gathering of mostly young progressive-minded folk. Now that the
governor’s race is in full swing, organizer Will Reynolds says that
although the size of the crowd is about the same — around a dozen
people per week, with the occasional visit by a candidate — the
meetings, at 8 p.m. each Thursday, have been moved to Floyd’s Thirst
Parlor (212 S. Fifth St.). Also, Reynolds says, Drinking Coffee Liberally
has been started for people who prefer quieter, less smoky environs. The
new group meets at 9 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays of each month at
the Trout Lily Café (218 S. Sixth St.). Reynolds, who rejects the
idea that the Thursday-night event provides nothing more than an excuse to
get wasted, admits that he rarely makes it to the Saturday function on
time. OUR BAD Many predictions have been made in recent weeks
regarding the state’s primary election, some of which we printed in
these pages — including quite a few that were wrong. Paul Mangieri told me last
week that that he’d beat Alexi
Giannoulias to win the Democratic nomination
for state treasurer. Didn’t happen. The young banker bested the
party’s guy by more than 20 percent. By the guesstimation of IT’s own gonzo scribe,
pundit Bruce Rushton, Sam Cahnman and his open primary would go down swinging. Ha! In fact, by
most accounts, Cahnman’s measure is what put him over the top. But
we’re humble, and we can admit fault — even it’s on page
9.